Gintama Original Soundtrack 1 – Review

Track List:
[spoiler]

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Review: My taste for anime music can be quite predictable. Elegant, moving, and graceful soundtracks, such as Aoi Hana’s, Ouran High School Host Club’s and Le Portrait de Petite Cosette’s, will definitely be able to gain my approval. However, Gintama is one oddball that pops up among my long list of favourites.

Gintama’s OST can neither be described as being beautiful nor subtle. As far as I can tell, there is not even a recurring theme. And yet, it manages to be enjoyable all the same. Like the anime, the soundtrack’s selling point is its quirkiness and guts. By utilising every ‘instrumental’ imaginable, Gintama’s OST feels unrestrained and unconfined.

The choice of instrumentation is commendable because of how unconventional it is. While most of it is dominated by guitar, one will also hear an eclectic mix of instruments such as the accordion, saxophone, xylophone and bassoon. Once in a while, even beat-boxing and yodelling are used. Most things associated with tranquillity, like the violin and flute, are almost completely abandoned here.

Doukou ga Hirai Tenzo
[audio:29 Gintama.mp3]

Yo no Charm Point
[audio:09 Gintama.mp3]

Despite its unorthodox nature, the music is also a perfect fit for the anime. One of the most entertaining tracks is the one depicting the story’s heroes’ slacker lifestyle. The cute bassoon solo is entertaining in that it makes listeners think of someone idling around.

Toubun Tora ne Tonaa
[audio:04 Gintama.mp3]

The other character themes are amusing in their own ways, including notables like the militaristic-mafia mixed track depicting the monster landlord, Otousei, “China Girl” Kagura’s Chinese-themed video-game-like music, and the jamming of an electric guitar depicting the stalker Kondou Isao.

Kono Stalker Yarou gaaa!
[audio:12 Gintama.mp3]

Once in a while, a more sober track surfaces. “Koko wa Samurai no Kuni da” is one such track, using a slow piano solo with acoustic guitar and string accompaniments to depict the sad reality of the samurai becoming obsolete. Compared to the pieces in many piano-dominated soundtracks, this track definitely is not up to par. However, it does provide a breather from the almost endless supply of energy the previous tracks give off.

Koko wa Samurai no Kuni da
[audio:14 Gintama.mp3]

Those who understand Japanese (or can find a translated version of the tracklist) will find the naming of the tracks amusing on its own as well, with tracks like “Ah Kimochi Warii, Futsukayoi” (Argh, I feel sick from the hangover), “Dorobou wa Dorobou Demo Koi Dorobou sa!!” (I’m a thief… of love), and “Mata Sore Kaii!” (That again?) topping the charts in terms of hilarious titles. While the track title does not really seem to have much to do with the music, it does give people an idea the context under which it was used in the anime, thereby making the association to the anime stronger.

Those who’ve watched the anime will definitely be able to relate to this soundtrack better, since few viewers can forget the themes which get used repeatedly during the first minute of the earlier episodes. A lot of the other tracks may not be as memorable, but viewers will definitely recognise them as being Gintama material.

Basically, “upbeat,” “noisy” and “fun” are the words I’d use to describe this soundtrack. If you’ve watched the anime, this soundtrack is an absolute must! If you haven’t, I’d still say “give it a go!” The energetic rock themes and pure wittiness this soundtrack brings forth are guaranteed to entertain.

Rating: Very Good